Straw Dogs
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Movie Reviews of Straw Dogs
Movie Review: I Love This Unusal Drama!
Summary: 4 Stars
It's funny how everybody who reviews this movie comments on how heroically the mousy professor defends his wife against a gang of English thugs. Nobody ever seems to mention that the Dustin Hoffman character is a totally cold and insensitive jerk who verbally abuses his wife every chance he can get. When the thugs come to his house initially, it is to get a drunken man who had possibly done something to the daughter of the gang; Hoffman's character refuses to hand the man over-- mostly because out of sheer arrogance that sparks the big, and final confrontation. I watched with grim fascination how he fought off five bad guys while at the same time I was thinking such a horrendous jerk really needed and deserved to get the stuffing beat out of him.
All in all, I really like this movie; Susan George gives a great performance as the put upon wife who is abused by her husband and raped by the men in the village where they live and Peckinpah's direction gives us many plot twists that go right up to the ending. Hoffman plays such a cold-hearted S.O.B. that I can't say that I enjoyed his performance but that's no fault of his, but this still a great movie.
Movie Review: An eye for an eye?
Summary: 4 Stars
I don't think Dustin Hoffman thought too much of this film, as, in his own words: "I did it for the money." The literary reference to the phrase "straw dogs" has to do with effigies of dogs made of straw and burned by others, like witches tied to stakes. I don't know if the phrase is supposed to refer to the husband and wife in this film, but if not, they're certainly castigated, to say the least. I've seen two different versions of the rape scene, one of which was from Amy's POV, which made it truly horrifying; and Susan George was only 21 years old when this film came out. (Both Dustin Hoffman and Jon Voight seem to have a thing for movies with sodomy scenes: "Midnight Cowboy" and "Deliverance"). I think the finale was more bizarre than scary, and the film had too many scenes with no emotional content or reason, such as Susan taking her top off for the camera, or focusing for several seconds on her panties as she takes forever to get out of the car. I can't remember the name of the book this movie is based upon, but it's a strange film, to be sure.Movie Review: Better DVDs Make This Better, Too
Summary: 4 Stars
I didn't really appreciate this movie until several viewings when a good print of this film finally came out on DVD. Since then, even a better one came out on Criterion and who knows, maybe we'll even get a great Blu-Ray transfer some day. The old VHS tapes of this film were awful.
I have to admit: watching Susan George is one of the big enjoyments of this movie. She is hot! In reality, it's doubtful someone like her would marry a nerd like the character played by Dustin Hoffman, although that "nerd" comes out of his shell in the suspense-filled last half hour.
This is one of those early `70 films that broke ground and shocked a lot of people. It's still an intense, uncomfortable movie, some 38 years after it was first released.
Movie Review: Amazing movie with despicable characters
Summary: 4 Stars
I find 2 noteworthy ironies in this movie. The first one - this is a movie with only bad characters, yet the director manages to get us interested, disturbed and amazed by it despite of their shortcomings. The second one : this is a movie about revenge. But just as we are not aware initially of the director's sarcasm towards the audience, the main protagonist is also not aware that his actions are in fact acts of revenge towards those who fully deserve it based on events that took place in the past. He may think his actions are based on current threats, but his antagonists and audience know better. What you don't know may still hurt your enemies.
Movie Review: Not an animal.
Summary: 4 Stars
Given the multiple reviews, I really only wish to comment on one aspect of the film, but one that is at it's heart. In the real world there really are people like the town bullies/thugs. Wherever found, their existence needs to be ended. In this film, after multiple points where this termination of existence should have occured, it finally does. D. goes from nothing to warrior. Not an animal in any way. A dangerous, thinking exterminator of evil. A good and honorable function. A necessary function.